You Are Your Own Worst Enemy

Yesterday I had to use the subway during rush hour. I was lucky and found a seat next to a man who looked like he was onehundredandsixtyfour years old. Nobody else wanted to sit next to him because he was smelling like alcohol.

The old man´s arms were as big as his wrists, he looked not only skinny but meager. I could see the veins on his arms. He didn´t look healthy overall.

Only a few seconds after I sat down the old man started to cough. After about twenty seconds of coughing he managed to catch his breath again and took a sip from the bottle he carried. He was drinking beer at 3:30 PM in the afternoon in the subway.

Over the course of the 30 minute subway ride he continued to cough his lungs out. He only stopped coughing to drink his beer. Immediately after that he started coughing again to the point where I was really afraid that he would die just then and there.

When the subway approached the last station on the line the old man got up and walked with tiny steps towards the doors. As if he was afraid his bones would break if he took larger steps.

In the pocket of his trousers I noticed a box of cigarettes.

This old man that could not stop coughing for half an hour was smoking and drinking alcohol. I couldn´t believe how uninterested in his own health this man had to be to act like that. His body was obviously not healthy but instead of taking extra care of it he just gave up and hurt it even more.

The truth is: I don´t know anything about this old man. I don´t know if he had smoked for all his life and got lung cancer or if he had lived healthy all his life and just didn´t care about his body anymore.

But I see this behavior all the time – people fuck things up and then cry about it. When instead they should work hard to correct their previous mistakes.

If you fuck your body up by smoking and drinking you stop crying about how unfair life is and start working towards a better future, a healthier body!

If you treat a woman like shit and she refuses to date you you shut up about women being too complicated and emotional and start improving your social skills!

If your disabled co-worker gets the raise instead of you you better stop complaining about how political correctness ruins everything and start getting better at your job!

Life is not fair, nor unfair. It doesn´t even matter. Life is just the way it is. Only your perspective makes it seem unfair.

Stop complaining and get off your ass!

As long as you keep working hard and stay consistent you will reach your goals. Complaining is not only stagnation, it´s a step backwards. While you complain you can´t focus on your goal.

Everything in your life happens because of your decisions. Call it unfair. That´s just the way it is.